


Four times Natasha hits Bruce and one time she doesn't

by Saltylocks



Series: Salty ships Marvel [2]
Category: MCU, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angry Natasha, Bruce Banner is in control of the Hulk, Bruce Banner-centric, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Not A Fix-It, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 02:57:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5727142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saltylocks/pseuds/Saltylocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a thing I wrote a year ago after the first Avengers movie came out and there still was hope for Bruce/Natasha.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not a robot

Bruce Banner's wrist cracked painfully and he could already feel the rage bubbling under his skin. The pain subsided for just a second before returning, worse than before. Bruce cradled his arm, closed his eyes and thought of the rain forrest, all that green, while breathing through his nose in long shallow breaths. He could hear Natasha take a deep breath, almost like a sob, as he drifted off, hoping he could keep his body human until he could get hold of some painkillers. The green leaves of the Amazon surrounded him, and he felt very tranquil.

-OOO-

When he opened his eyes again, it was night time, and the strips of light shining in through the curtain lit up Natasha sitting in a chair, a red book in her hands.

"What are you reading?" Bruce asked, his voice raspy.

"Bruce," she whispered, giving him an apprehensive look. "You are awake."

"Yeah," he said, stretching. "What happened?"

"We sparred, and I think I got the best of you," the assassin said, an apologetic smile on her lips. "I broke some bones and gave you a concussion."

"Oh," Bruce said.

"How do you feel?"

Bruce took a deep breath and ran an inventory on his body. They hadn't been able to pierce his skin, so some level of the Hulk still boiled under his skin. His arm pounded.

"In pain," he said. "I need to go for a run, I think."

That was code for Hulking out. He knew she knew. He always felt better afterwards, even if he felt bad admitting it. It worked almost like a reset. She looked him over, once, before nodding.

"Alright," she said, her tone neutral.

Awkward silence followed after that.

"It's Dostojevskij," she added, pointing at the novel in her hands.

"Oh," he said again. "In Russian?"

"Arabic," she said, showing him the cover.

"Oh," he said again.

He studied the book politely. He had learned to read some Arabic but were nothing close to her level.

"Bruce, I'm sorry," she whispered. "I lost control. I forgot that you are different."

Bruce's smile was patient as he reached for his glasses.

"Aren't we all?"

He tried to put his glasses on with one hand, and she reached out to help him, her hands lingering on his cheek.

"Still..." Natasha said. 

Bruce smiled at her.

"Thanks," he said, "it means a lot."

Natasha smiled and helped him up and out of the infirmary, to the balcony. The cold night air hit him and Natasha took some steps back. He carefully let go of his reigns, careful not to spook her and stir up memories of the Helicarrier. Once he let go, he wasn't sure what would happen.

"Keep your distance," he warned her as he felt his skin warm up.

"See ya," she said and went back inside. 

Bruce watched her close the see through doors, and then, the toxic green enveloped him.


	2. Boom, slap

Bruce Banner's cheeks had burned red before she slapped him, and now he could still feel them burning a little, with another color. He could see it in her eyes, the way her pupils turned small and frightened, and how her tongue darted out once to lick her dry lips. She mostly looked mad, though.

"What the fuck, Bruce?" she said, he low voice even hoarser with emotion. 

"I just thought..." he groaned through clenched teeth, fighting against the green giant inside. Natasha were not a threat and destroying her room for saying no would definitely ruin any chance of her changing her mind in the future.

"Hey, guys!" Clint said, hanging from the vent in the ceiling. "Don't worry, I only saw the slap in the end!"

"I can't deal with this right now," Natasha huffed, walking out.

Bruce kept still, thought off green trees, leaves and giant flowers. Clint jumped down and stood behind him until he had gotten his body under control.

"So what did you do?" Clint said.

"Nothing," Bruce breathed out, red rising on his cheeks again.

"Oh come on doctor Banner, I know Nat isn't exactly Florence Nightingale but she wouldn't slap you like that. What did you do? Did you eat her chocolate chip cookies by mistake? Forgot to do the laundry and borrowed a towel? A book? Stepped on her toe? What?"

"I just asked her... we were out on a mission and I said I was making some coffee and she said she really like the coffee shop on the corner, so I just asked if she liked to take me there some time, like, as in a..."

"You asked her out?"

"More like asking her if she wanted to take me, actually..."

"Man."

Clint smiled and patted the doctor's shoulder. 

"Don't worry about it, she's always like that. Everything that actually makes her feel anything, she is violent with. If anything, you should be honored."

Bruce turned to Clint with a raised eyebrow.

"Really?" he said. 

"Yeah," Clint grunted, and smiled. "Too bad about the cheek though. Damn, that's going to hurt for days."


	3. Elevator

"Betty, I can't."

They were standing in the elevator, far too close, Betty's hooded eyes turning sad.

"Why?" she asked, letting go of his shoulders.

"Look, I..." 

Bruce fidgeted.

"I love you, and I admire you, but I don't feel the same way as I did before. As good as it has been to see you again, I can't just take up where we left off. Too much have changed. I feel like I actually have a family now."

"And I can't be part of that family, Bruce?"

Bruce hesitated but then shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Betty's lower lip was quivering and he walked forward to hold her in her arms again, just as the elevator pinged and they walked outside.

"Betty..." he said, trying to get a hold of her hand, because he couldn't stand seeing her sad.

"Why won't you give us a chance?" she roared, clenching her handbag close in her fist. "Is it because I don't have superpowers?"

"Of course not, Betty, come here."

"All I ever wanted was for us to be happy," she sighed and fell back into his arms. 

They hugged, and before he knew it, her lips were on his. It was so familiar, her taste, her softness and warmth. It was difficult for him to move away.

"I'm sorry, I can't," he said and moved away from her.

She sighed as the cab rolled up to the curb. 

"Well," she said, "it was worth a shot. Call me if you change your mind."

Bruce knew it wouldn't happen, but he still nodded.

"Sure," he said.

Betty got in and drove out of his life. As he turned around, Natasha stood by the wall of the tower, eyeing him.

"A tearful goodbye," she said. "Are you going to meet her again?"

Bruce shook his head.

"No."

He felt weird, free and lonely at the same time. He wanted to run like never before, he had an itchy sensation spreading through his body, and he also felt like he could sleep for a thousand years. He locked after the cab as it disappeared.

"We were high-school sweethearts," he said, looking back at Natasha. "For a long time, I always thought she would be a part of my life."

"I don't get that whole thing," she said. "It sounds stupid. why would anyone want to be with the same person their whole life?"

"It's called love," Bruce said, smiling at her.

"Well it's still a weird custom," she sniffed.

Bruce would normally not have cared about her saying that, but after just saying goodbye to the someone he once thought he would grow old with, he felt the green come back and thrash under his skin, begging to be released.

"I'm going for a run," he excused himself.

Natasha studied him for a second. 

"Go for it," she said. 

Bruce nodded.

"Jane texted before and said she's making cookies, I'll save some for you."

"Thanks, " he smiled, and ran up the street towards the river, the clothes ripping against his exploding muscles.


	4. Movie night

“Which one should we watch?” Darcy shouted excitedly, jumping up and down. 

“Let’s see,” Tony said, “we have Netflix, HBO, Viaplay, every available channel on the planet and if there’s still something you want to see that isn’t in there, I’m sure Jarvis can get it for you.” 

“Sir, I refuse to be reduced to a movie database,” Jarvis interjected.

“I know, buddy,” Tony said affectionately, winking at Darcy before turning back to Pepper.

“What’s your favorite film?” Jane asked her assistant.

“Oh, there’s so many, I don’t even know where to start. What do you guys want to see?”

She looked over at Clint and Phil, leaning against the armrest. 

"Maybe something with snow?" Phil said. "I always liked snow, it looks clean."

Clint nodded. Darcy turned towards the kitchen.

"What kinds of movies do you like?" 

Loki looked up from the bowl he was stirring.

"Anything you like, dear," he murmured, a loving grin on his face. 

Thor smiled too, before going back to watch the popcorn in the microwave. 

"Remarkable," he said to Darcy. "I am happy watching anything from your realm, to learn more about Jane's world."

"Steve?" Darcy called, clearly annoyed from the non-responses. "Give a gal some help here?"

Bucky and Steve both looked up at the mention of his name, before the captain continued braiding the Winter Solider's hair.

"I don't know any good movies from nowadays," he mused. "Something romantic?"

Bucky snorted a little and Darcy smiled.

"I think I know one, " she said, spinning to face Bruce. "Have any of you seen "The Holiday?"

Pepper and Jane immediately raised their hands in delight. Natasha shifted a little, before raising her hand too, looking amused.

"That's perfect," Jane said. 

They waited for the popcorn to get done and then they all sat down, Loki snuggled close to Darcy with his nose at her neck, Jane in Thor's lap with her head on his chest. Bucky sat on the floor with his head resting on Steve's thigh and back against the big curved sofa, Clint leaning towards Phil who looked at his phone a couple of times a minute, just to make sure he wasn't needed somewhere else. Tony and Pepper sat on the floor on two cushions, barely watching the movie at first, but getting more and more invested as it went along. Bruce had grabbed a chair from the bar and sat behind the sofa, and Natasha leaned against the wall a couple of feet from him, looking as comfortable as she ever did. The assassin was capable to stand on guard for hours and also, she was quite competent, so he didn't offer to get her a chair too.

As the movie went along, he could hear her shuffling a couple of times. Bruce tried to look without disturbing her, but she wasn't paying attention to him, but to the couples sitting in the sofa. He could see her looking over at Tony and Pepper with a mix of happiness and sadness, like she didn't know how to feel about them, about any of them. Another time, she sighed as Steve and Bucky remembered a movie they referenced in the movie, like she wished... what? That she could be a part of that? She looked relaxed, but also more insecure, her eyes shifting from one couple to the next, almost longingly. Her small movements were more interesting to him than the movie, and soon, he had lost track of the plot, so immersed in listening to her breathing next to him. 

Next time Bruce looked, Natasha was staring right at him, a strange, pondering look in her eyes. When she noticed him watching her, she retreated, silently moving out of the room. Bruce waited a couple of seconds, debating, before following her. Natasha grabbed him as he passed by the stairwell, pulling him inside, down the stairs. He tried to keep up with her pace, her footsteps silent and his echoing at the naked marble walls.

"Even the stairs looks fancy in the Stark building," he commented, and she finally stopped, letting him off.

"I had to get away," she said, sitting down. The sign above her head said 22, so they were eight floors from the others. The air was stale as Bruce sat down.

"I noticed," he said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she snorted, and then "Maybe."

"Yeah?"

Natasha looked up, and sighed.

"I have discovered a huge flaw in myself," she said, "that might always have been there or maybe have been developed as of late. A feeling I never thought I would need to deal with. Personally I blame this environment. It's not good to be an assassin with a family. I have too many people I... care about."

She sighed.

"You had Clint before this," Bruce reminded her.

"He was one person. He wouldn't like me to say so, but I could have gotten over him, just like I did... like I have done with a lot of people."

Her eyes became unfocused as she remembered, and Bruce had to remind himself that she was older than she looked.

"And now?" he asked, bringing her back into the now.

"Now?" she laughed, a desperate note in her voice. "Now, it's like I can't stop loving, and worrying. I worry about Tony not coming back from his next mission, I worry about Clint and Coulson, because I know what an workaholic Phil can be, and Clint wants kids. I love, so much, but I'm not sure I can trust it to last, and it's driving me insane."

Her eyes got a little wet and Bruce carefully put a hand on her shoulder, making sure she wasn't surprised. She shivered but didn't pull away.

"It's hard for me too," he said. "I find comfort in the fact that nothing lasts, so we better do best with what we can, while we have it. Tomorrow it all might be gone."

"Yeah," Natasha said, looking at him, "although, you know that's not true for everything. I mean, there are two guys up there from the fifties."

Bruce grinned.

"Yeah, that's true. You know, every time I hulk out, I return looking like I did before the accident."

"Really?" she said.

"Yeah, so, I might be able to live as long or longer than 95 years of age."

Natasha had that pondering look in her face again.

"But you still find comfort in that sentiment, that things don't last forever?"

"Yes, because a hundred years is still a blink of an eye if you compare to how long the earth existed, or the universe, for that matter," Bruce explained. "So I will live long compared to other humans, but not in the large span of things."

Natasha nodded.

"How old are you now?" she asked abruptly.

"I'll turn 46 in a couple of weeks," he answered, and then, he waited.

Natasha cleared her throat, knowing she was expected to tell him her real age.

"I'm as old as Steve," she said curtly, "around 93, I think. The Red Room wasn't that keen of keeping track of birthdays, and my body doesn't age, so I don't know exactly."

Bruce nodded.

"How do you stay so calm all the time?" she asked. "Is there like a place you go? I've seen you close your eyes and focus on something."

"It might sound crazy, but I'm thinking of green. In the Amazon, everything was green: you couldn't see the sky because of the trees, and the trails all contained leaves in different stages of composition, so when I'm trying not to think of the Hulk, I think of the rain forest."

"Hmm," Natasha said.

She carefully leaned against him a little, wrapping her arms around his arm. 

"Have you ever been to the Amazonas?" he asked her, feeling her relax against his side.

"No," a smile in her voice, "I'm more of a city girl."

"You should definitely go some day," he murmured, careful not to disturb her. "It's amazing."

"Maybe we could go together."

Bruce's heart beat slightly faster at those five words, but he did his best not to show it.

"Maybe," he whispered, as colorful images of Natasha swirled in his head, her smiling as him, her red hair against all that green.

"Hey," she said and put her head on his shoulder. "What was it that you said again? Just so I remember. The thing that makes you calm."

"You mean the fact that essentially nothing lasts for ever and tomorrow it might all be gone?"

"Yeah, that," she smiled, and leaned in and kissed him on the lips, like the most natural thing in the world. "So we might as well enjoy it while it lasts."

Bruce had thought his heart would jumped out of his chest if Natasha ever kissed him, but it didn't happen. He just felt calm, and happy, like some big puzzle piece had been put into place. He felt buzzed, and happy, and tranquil.

Natasha looked at him, her eyes hooded, a lazy, genuine smile on her face.

"We should probably get back to the other's."

"Yes," Bruce said.

They walked out the door and took the elevator back to the 30th floor. The movie was still going, Steve was asleep, Tony and Pepper was in the kitchen discussing the economy of the company, and Clint and Phil was nowhere to be seen. Darcy and Loki was making out and Jane was explaining something to Thor about the movie, Bucky listening in too, his eyes on the TV and his arms wrapped around Steve's long legs.

"Hey, where did you go?" Darcy asked as Bruce nodded towards them and Natasha gave them a little smile.

"We just needed to talk about some things," Bruce said, unsure if they were a couple or not, looking back at the assassin to find she had already strolled into the kitchen, nibbling on some leftover popcorn.

"Nothing too serious, I hope?" Jane said, peering up at the doctor.

"Serious? No, no, nothing too serious," Bruce said, scratching his neck.

He looked over at the assassin. Couldn't be too serious. 

'You are getting ahead of yourself old man,' he thought to himself.

"How was the movie?" he asked out loud, and let Thor's enthusiastic, booming voice drown out any trouble in his mind.


	5. Five time's the charm

Bruce woke up early the next morning, he got dressed, did his yoga, showered and lumbered to the kitchen to make breakfast. One by one the other Avengers joined him, some just risen out of bed, other's looking like they might had had a mission the night before. Clint was in his armor, putting away his arrows under the kitchen isle, and started to fry up some hamburgers. Steve walked in whistling and started cracking eggs for an omelette. Thor and Loki both satisfied with some milk and cheerios, while informing the other's that Darcy was in the shower but Lady Jane was really grumpy in the mornings and liked to sleep in, so she should be joining them later. Steve cracked up at that and said Bucky was the same, while dumping the omelette batter over some bacon in a frying pan. The kitchen was full of life and Bruce found himself smiling at how well everyone was getting along. Stark didn't eat breakfast, and Pepper was probably already on her way to some sort of business meeting, and Coulson too.

That only left Natasha.

"Hey, you know where Nat is?" he asked Clint when he stood up to leave.

"Yeah, mission," he said, picking up an orange from the bowl on the table. 

"Now?"

"Yup."

"Same as you?" 

"No, different one. Are you okay? You look a little green."

"I'm fine," Bruce said, though he didn't feel fine.

"See ya," Clint said, and Bruce left a couple of minutes later. 

He tried to work but he felt preoccupied.

'I'm being ridiculous,' he thought. 'She an highly trained spy and assassin. She can take care of herself.'

She still wasn't back when he went to bed. It was hard falling asleep, he wished she would be there with him so he could keep her close.

'Stupid,' he chided himself, tossing and turning until he finally went to sleep.

-OOO-

He wasn't sure what woke him up, just that when he turned his head, she stood beside his bed, a dark figure against the moonlight, a black widow.

"Difficult assignment?" he whispered, still unsure if she was a dream or not.

She relaxed a little, nodding stiffly.

"Can I?" she said, still not moving.

"Of course," Bruce said, and she removed her gloves and shoes before zipping down the suit and crawling under the covers with him. She felt warm, though it was a chilly night. She smelled sweet, perfume and something metallic - gunpowder maybe, he tries not to think about it - and as she presses her face against the bend of his neck, he can't stop himself from thinking about the kiss they shared in the elevator, and how it made him feel. It's almost morning and he doesn't feel tired, though he guesses she is.

"When did you get back?" he asks, quietly in case she is already asleep.

"Yesterday."

"I'm glad you are alright," he hummed.

"Just some hail in my thigh," she mumbles, half asleep. "They removed most of it when I got back."

Bruce reached out, his hands slow and big not to scare her, following her side down to her thigh. He notices no weapons or clothing, so she seems to trust him not to put her in danger. Nat that any weapon would have the slightest affect on him, but he wouldn't turn into the Hulk around her. She makes him feel relaxed. Natasha starts when his fingers reaches the compress and whimpers in a way he didn't know she even could.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, afraid to destroy the fragile bubble of safety they've built.

She stills but between her eyes there is still a little crinkle. Bruce want her to be relaxed, and carefully, he kisses that little crinkle, he kissed her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks, her chin and her lips, repeating "sorry" with every breath, and it becomes sorry for every time he's hurt her, from the moment they met, when the Hulk chased her through the Helicarrier, to this day when he touched her, and every other time he might unintentionally have hurt her.

After a while his words trail off, she looks so peaceful, and Bruce laid down close to her, also at peace. In a way, he felt like he had somehow forgiven himself. He fell into a light slumber.

When she stirred, he reached for her, and barely had time to see her big eyes rivet themselves to him before she instinctively grabs his head and twist's it. She gets it under control quickly though, and lets go before it really starts to hurt.

"Sorry," she said as he gathered his wits, "old instinct."

"It's okay," he sighs. " You can't kill me, If I had been in any real danger, you would just have a lap full of Hulk."

Natasha smiled at that, a drowsy smirk as she turned sleepy again. Bruce couldn't help but touch her, her messy hair, her perfect skin. He smiled back, that feeling coming back as he laid down beside her.

"I like that," she whispered, touching him too, "that I can't kill you. I can work with that."

"I'd like you to work with it," he said, smiling back. "In fact, maybe you could work on that by staying with me tomorrow night?"

"Doctor Banner," Natasha said, faking an uppity accent, "what sort of woman do you think I am?"

Bruce peered at her.

"A woman who is free to do whatever she wants," he said, "that's why I'm asking."

Natasha looked at him, her eyes soft and shiny.

"Then I will stay with you," she said, and moved closer so she laid pressed to his chest. Bruce put his chin on her head, and sighed. The calm feeling returned, and as he heard her breaths steadying, he relaxed against her, allowing himself to sleep in for once in his life.


End file.
